Viktor Bout

Sukree Sukplang/Reuters

News about Viktor Bout, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 18, 2012

Government of Mauritius blocks two former business associates of Viktor Bout, the convicted Russian arms dealer now in federal prison in the United States, from setting up an aviation company that could have been used for smuggling guns. MORE

May. 24, 2012

Andrew Smulian, government witness who helped put Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout behind bars for 25 years, is sentenced to five years in prison for charges stemming from the same sting operation by the American government; Smulian has been held since 2008, therefore has less than one year to serve. MORE

Apr. 7, 2012

Russia lashes out at the United States over sentencing of convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout to 25 years in prison; Russian officials describe the case as a conspiracy that involves government collusion with the courts, American media and even Hollywood. MORE

Apr. 6, 2012

Russian Viktor Bout is sentenced in Federal District Court in Manhattan to 25 years in prison for conspiring to kill Americans by agreeing to sell weapons to federal informants he believed were members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia; federal prosecutors had sought a life sentence for Bout, believed to play a leadership role in international weapons trafficking. MORE

Dec. 22, 2011

Heather Hobson, the forewoman in the arms trafficking trial of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, is called to testify in hearing to assess Bout's request for a retrial; appeal was based on information that Hobson had seen the 2005 film Lord of War, whose main character was inspired by Bout, before the trial; Judge Shira A Scheindlin denies the motion for retrial. MORE

Nov. 29, 2011

Federal prosecutors oppose terrorism suspect Viktor Bout's request for his case to be retried; Bout had argued that juror Heather Hobson may have been unduly influenced by movie Lord of War, which is based on Bout's life. MORE

Nov. 15, 2011

Albert Y Dayan, lawyer for Viktor Bout, who was convicted in plot to sell weapons to Colombian terrorists, says jurors may have been influenced by Nicholas Cage movie Lord of War, based on Bout's life; has asked judge to overturn verdict and hold new trial. MORE

Nov. 12, 2011

Op-Ed article by former South African lawmaker Andrew Feinstein holds that while conviction of arms trafficker Viktor Bout is a rare moment of triumph in the fight against the illicit arms trade, the case illuminates fundamentally hypocritical relationship between governments and arms dealers; asserts that inherent corruption in process can only be cured by imposing greater transparency. MORE

Nov. 4, 2011

Heather Hobson, jury forewoman in trial of former Soviet Air Force officer Viktor Bout, says Bout's own words were enough to convict him of plotting to sell weapons to informants who he believed were Colombian terrorists intent on killing Americans. MORE

Nov. 3, 2011

Viktor Bout, former Soviet Air Force officer who became known as the 'Merchant of Death' for running what American officials have described as an international arms-trafficking network, is found guilty of conspiring to sell antiaircraft missiles and other weapons to men he believed were Colombian terrorists intent on killing Americans. MORE

Nov. 1, 2011

Prosecutors make closing arguments Federal District Court trial, in Manhattan, of Russian businessman Viktor Bout, accused of being illegal arms dealer who was intent on selling weapons to terrorists. MORE

Oct. 27, 2011

Andrew Smulian, testifying for second day in trial of accused arms dealer Viktor Bout, details plan under which Bout and he would have sold weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. MORE

Oct. 26, 2011

Andrew Smulian testifies in Manhattan trial of reputed Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout; Smulian pleaded guilty in 2008 to conspiring with Bout to sell arms and says he now wants assist the prosecutors. MORE

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Richard A. Chichakli, a dual United States and Syrian citizen who has been described as a close associate of a Russian arms trafficker, was arrested on Wednesday in Australia, American authorities said.

The forewoman from Viktor Bout’s arms-trafficking trial told a court on Wednesday that the 2005 film “Lord of War,” which Mr. Bout is thought to have inspired, did not influence the jury’s guilty verdict.